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Some supercomputers can do more than 80 million calculations an hour! How fast could you do your math homework if you had a supercomputer?
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Modeling the Future of Climate Change

Predicting how our climate will change
in the next century or beyond requires tools for assessing how planet responds
to change. Global climate models, which are run on some of the world's fastest
supercomputers, allow scientists to better understand how the Earth
works and how it will react to changes in the future.

Global climate models use hundreds of different mathematical equations to describe
processes and interactions in the Earth system. The mathematical equations for
a large climate model require quick supercomputers that perform many calculations
rapidly, often more than 80 million calculations an hour.

The most sophisticated climate models take into account five important components:

What will the next century bring? According to scientists Tom Wigley (NCAR)
and Sarah Raper (Climate Research Unit, England) there is 90% probability that
temperatures will rise 1.8 to 4.0°C (3.1 to 7.2°F)
in the next 100 years as a result of human influences, assuming continued greenhouse
gas emissions. To put this amount of warming into perspective, remember that
in the past century, a smaller temperatures rise of only about 0.6°C (1.0
°F) has been able to disrupt many aspects of the Earth system.

Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!

Cool It! is the new card game from the Union of Concerned Scientists that teaches kids about the choices we have when it comes to climate change—and how policy and technology decisions made today will matter. Cool It! is available in our online store.

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